Matt Harding traveled around the world and took videos of himself dancing (badly) in various places.

Then the video got loaded onto Youtube and lots of people watched it. This led to more traveling and dancing, and, well, the story gets longer so just go read his website. He’s funny and he likes to travel -what more could you want?

(This is my three-year old niece being cute on a recent visit to Brisbane.)

I’m off to Africa today!

I’m doing this Intrepid Travel tour, going to ten different countries over 60 days. At the end of this trip I will have achieved my (completely arbitrary) goal of having visited as many countries as I am years old. I imagine this will be extremely satisfying until my birthday next year when I shall have to start planning more holidays to keep up!

I’ve organised for posts to keep going up while I am away, and when I return (and have recovered somewhat) I’ll start posting some of the awesome photos I hope to take.

I had never been to a science fiction and fantasy convention before, and when I heard that the 2010 Worldcon was going to be held in Melbourne, I had to go.

Several people at the convention said “Your first con? And you chose a Worldcon?” in tones of disbelief. I figured why not go for one of the biggest and best? At least I was almost certain to enjoy myself, and, worst-case scenario, if I didn’t like the con, there is plenty of shopping and sightseeing to do in Melbourne.

I had a wonderful time.

I caught up with my friend Joanne Anderton, whose first novel should be published in 2011.

Joanne Anderton & Me

Jo introduced me to Ian Tregillis, with whom I had some fascinating conversations. I will be tracking down a copy of his first novel, Bitter Seeds, when I return from Africa.

Ian Tregillis

I also got lots of books signed by their authors, and was brave enough to ask if I could get my photo taken with my favourite ones.

Me & Michael Pryor

Michael Pryor was not originally scheduled to have a signing. I wasn’t at all certain I could track down (stalk) him without knowing what he looked like, or even if I could randomly accost someone and ask them to sign my book. Luckily a signing was arranged and Michael was very friendly, we chatted for a while about The Laws of Magic series. I thought he really accentuated the humour in his books when I attended his reading, it is a pity the Laws of Magic series isn’t available as audiobooks.

Me & Gail Carriger

Gail Carriger’s third book, Blameless was released the week Worldcon began. I carefully purchased a copy in Brisbane so I could read it on the plane to Melbourne and get it signed. But Gail had been staying with family in Brisbane and had sneakily signed all the copies of her books in store!

Thankfully I discovered the horror of a previously signed book before I left for Melbourne, and the second book was added to my growing pile of luggage. (A personalised autograph is much better than a generic one. My brought with signature copies of Jo Beverley and Nalini Singh books don’t count.)

Me & John Scalzi

John Scalzi’s signing was the first one I went to, and he (unsurprisingly) had a very long line of people waiting. I wasn’t brave enough to ask someone so famous (in the sci-fi and blogging world at least) if I could have my photo taken with him, so I just scurried away holding tight to my now signed copy of Android’s Dream.

The next day, having partly overcome my “I can’t believe I’m talking to real actual writers who wrote books I love!!!!!” attitude, I summoned up the courage to ask him for a photo after his reading was done. John very nicely agreed and said he often wonders if he ends up looking smug in these photos.

The next morning, I was waiting outside the room where the first panel I was attending was going to start, and someone walked past and said “Hey, how’s it going?” I just about forgot to say anything in reply when I realised John Scalzi had remembered me from the day before!

Seanan McGuire & Me

Seanan McGuire was one of the bubbliest, cheerfulist people I met at Worldcon. Being a published author with fans still seems to be new and exciting for her; she happily posed with another fans’ toy before she cuddled in for the photo with me. (No really, our heads are touching.)

Seanan is also friends with Catherynne Valente, whose books I have not yet read, but I thought she was awesome and articulate on the panels I saw her on.

Melbourne Convention Centre At Night

The first panel I attended on Sunday morning was about the early days of fandom in Australia and New Zealand. I had met the moderator, Chris Nelson, on Thursday. He is doing reasearch into early fan letters to sci-fi magazines and he asked if I would read aloud a letter that an eighteen year old New Zealand girl had sent eighty years ago. Of course I agreed!

(It would have been unusual to be female and passionate about science fiction in the 1920’s, I wonder who she was and what happened in the rest of her life.)

Chris was very kind, he told everyone attending the panel (about ten people) that this was my first con and gave me a 1951 copy of Startling Stories.

Startling Stories (from 1951)

On the final night of the convention, desperate for a proper meal with vegetables and conversation (previously I had been so tired I just crashed in my hotel room in the evening), I invited Ian Tregillis and Melinda Snodgrass to join me for dinner.

I know this has little to do with the attraction of my conversation, but I find it highly amusing that Melinda had been invited to dinner with George R R Martin (famous author) and Patrick Neilsen Hayden (famous editor) but decided in favour of a quieter meal with Ian and I. (Melinda knows them both very well, but I still find it funny!)

I had a wonderful Worldcon. I’m hoping that New Zealand’s bid to hold the Worldcon in 2020 is successful so I can attend again.